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Ocean City Travel Guide

Inside ScoopFrom Ocean City Locals

Ocean City with Kids: A Perfect Family Day

Alamy Time-tested and parent-approved, a vacation to Ocean City with kids...Read More

Ocean City Slang

Ocean City, Md., is a small town with a population of only about 7,500 year-round...Read More
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Ocean City OVERVIEW
Folks here like to think of Ocean City as the original "OC." The name resemblance to a show that popularized a lifestyle of sun, sand, surf and sex is appropriate at first glance, but then the comparison quickly falls apart. The East Coast OC is decidedly not about catwalk models on the beach. More than models, you'll find working-class folks on holiday from Philly, Baltimore and Wilmington. They sport a mix of cultural symbols that speaks to the way the Mid-Atlantic mixes North and South. Ocean City is the American summer getaway in all its glory, kitsch, tackiness, nostalgia and plain old fun, served with a wonderful boardwalk, several slices of pizza, a soft-shell crab sandwich, a big ol’ cup of Thrasher’s Fries doused in apple cider vinegar and (why the heck not?) a funnel cake. This isn't to say Ocean City doesn’t offer tons of tan-worthy fun. The sand here is white and smooth, the ocean is warm and lovely (and even provides some decent waves), at least in the summer season, and there ...See More are some beach beauties wandering about. But you’ll need to really search to find sushi bars or fusion cuisine or Prada branches in this beach town. The pristine small towns of the Maryland Eastern Shore are just a few minutes away by car, and south of here is one of the East Coast’s natural wonders: a windswept barrier island overrun with wild horses that trotted right out of your childhood summer fantasies. See Less
BEST IN Ocean City TRAVEL
from our Editors
  • Inn on the Ocean Inn On The Ocean
  • Crab Alley Eric Turner
  • Inn on the OceanTwo words: sandy doily. Maybe that phrase doesn’t do the trick, but we think it gets at the heart of the matter. The Inn...
  • Crab AlleySecond verse, same as the first? More or less. Crab Alley is another great Ocean City crab house. We include this...
  • The BoardwalkThe Ocean City Boardwalk is one of America’s great exemplars of the seaside, wooden slat, pedestrian thoroughfare genre...
  • AOL Travel Editors test hundreds of travel experiences at all price points. See their recommendations and make the most of your trip...
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